


The Dark Side

by musicalkiddo



Category: Spring Awakening - Sheik/Sater
Genre: M/M, bobby maler is mentioned for like 5 seconds bc i'm easily influenced by the fandom, ernst is an artist bc i've apparently made that my own personal cannon now, hanschen is a bad boy and ernst has a perfect record, i literally am so awful at titles I just pulled this out of a line from the story, this is a total fluff piece they don't even kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-14
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:23:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4995475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicalkiddo/pseuds/musicalkiddo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Come here often?” Hanschen asked coolly, stretching his legs out in front of him.</p><p>“No, actually.”</p><p>“Oh, you’re a good boy.”  He chuckled before leaning closer to whisper, “Welcome to the dark side.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Dark Side

Ernst had never met the beautiful blonde boy before today, but now he felt all too familiar.  They’d been sitting outside the main office waiting for Principal Knochenbruch to meet with them for twenty minutes.

“Come here often?” Hanschen asked coolly, stretching his legs out in front of him.

“No, actually.”

“Oh, you’re a good boy.”  He chuckled before leaning closer to whisper, “Welcome to the dark side.”

“I am not on the dark side.  I didn’t do anything, they’ll let me leave as soon as I talk to Mr. Knochenbruch and explain this,” Ernst snapped.

Hanschen put his hands up in surrender.  “Woah.  Okay.”  The silence resumed.

Unable to stay still, Hanschen leapt to his feet and started pacing the hall with long strides.

“Will you sit down?” Ernst hissed at him.

Hanschen did, but only because the other boy was kind of cute and seemed insanely nervous.

“I’m Hanschen.” he announced, settling next to Ernst.

“Ernst.”

“Ernst,” Hanschen repeated.  He liked the sound of it.  “So what are you in for, Ernst?”

“They think I vandalized the chapel.”

“What a coincidence.  Me too.”

Before Ernst could respond, the principal opened the door.  “Come in boys,” he barked, glaring at them.  Ernst’s heart was pounding as he followed Hanschen into the office.  Mr. Knochenbruch closed the door behind them.  “Sit down.”  They did as they were told.  “One of you,” he began, “or perhaps both of you, has committed an act of utter immorality.  It is not only wildly inappropriate, but also shows blatant disregard for school rules and our code of honor.  I assume you both know why you are suspected?”

Too scared to speak, Ernst only shook his head.

“Your hands, Mr. Robel.”  Ernst looked down.  Sure enough, his hands were smudged with sky blue paint.  This was his normal state though.  An artist, the boy couldn’t remember a time he didn’t have paint somewhere on him.  He’d once shown up to Latin with a smear of purple on his nose.  “That color matches what was used on the chapel exactly.  Not to mention the fact that you were absent from class, without a pass from any teacher, all morning, including the time this transgression would have occurred.  And you, Mr. Rilow, as I’m sure you are aware, were also absent from class.  And you have a, well, rather impressive record behind you that puts you on the watch list for all kinds of misdemeanors.”  Hanschen tried to keep himself from laughing at this.  Ernst wanted to cry.

“Well?  Do either of you have anything to say for yourselves?” Mr. Knochenbruch asked.

Ernst opened his mouth to speak, but Hanschen was talking before he could get the words out.  “To be honest, sir, this feels like profiling.  I’m flattered that you think I’m so artistically inclined, but you have no case against me other than ‘you’ve misbehaved before.’  Maybe I’m a changed man, sir.  Maybe I’m reformed.”  Ernst gaped at him, and he winked while Mr. Knochenbruch had his eyes closed, rubbing his hand over them.  He continued, “Actually, I am changed, and I’m a little, nay, very insulted that you’d accuse me of something so heinous.  I’d like to leave, sir.”  He stood up.

“Mr. Rilow, sit down or you will be expelled.  While I’m sure you’re quite proud, that argument is hardly going to convince me of your innocence.  Well?  Go on, have a seat.”  Hanschen sat back down, sighing.

“Alright, Mr. Robel.  Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Yes, sir.”  He waited for Mr. Knochenbruch to nod at him before saying, meekly, “I’m an artist, sir.  I can show you the piece I was working on today if you’d like, the color of that painting is the one on my hands.  That’s why I was absent this morning, I was working in the art room and I spilled the paint all over, I was cleaning it up because I’d been trusted with the materials and I felt awful about making such a mess.”  He held his breath until the principal answered.

“See, Mr. Rilow?  That’s a believable story.  I’m going to pretend there’s some truth to your ‘reformed man’ nonsense, however, and give you a good opportunity.  Confess.  Either of you confesses, you get off with a warning and the other of you is off scottfree.  Neither of you confesses, you both end up in detention.”  Ernst felt his heart drop.  He’d never been in detention.  He couldn’t be in detention.  His record was perfect, something he clung to.  It didn’t make up for his low grades in the classes where he struggled, but it certainly helped.

Hanschen, on the other hand… Ernst hadn’t met him until today but he’d certainly heard rumors.   _Hanschen Rilow duct taped a dildo to Mr. Knochenbruch’s door.  Hanschen Rilow covered his English teacher’s car in shaving cream.  Hanschen Rilow let a duck loose in the school.  Hanschen Rilow kept a kitten in his desk.  Hanschen Rilow died the pool water black._

“I’m going to the teacher’s lounge to have a cup of coffee.  When I get back you will have the only opportunity you’ll get to save yourselves.  Be wise, boys.”

As soon as he was out the door, Ernst turned to Hanschen.  “Just confess, please.  I can’t go to detention.  Please.”

“What makes you so sure I did it?” Hanschen sounded offended.

“Well I sure as hell didn’t.”

“We’re not the only students in the school, Ernst.”

“Are you saying you honestly didn’t do this?”

“You sound so surprised.” The look on Ernst’s face confirmed this.  “Honestly, you hardly know me.”

“Your reputation precedes you.”

Hanschen laughed.  “Well.  I suppose it would.”

“So you won’t confess?”

“For something I didn’t do?  No way.”

“But you’ve done so much, Hanschen, that I can’t see how this one thing would matter.  It’s just another on the list, no?” Ernst was desperate.

“I refuse to take the blame for something I didn’t do.”

“If we end up in detention everyone will think you did it anyway.”

“The last time I did that it was to cover for someone else, and I got a week’s suspension.  I swore I’d never do that again.  I don’t care how nice of a guy you are, and I’m sure you’re very nice.  I won’t lie about this.”

“Who were you covering for last time?” Ernst asked.  As far as he knew, Hanschen was the only boy in school daring enough to pull off such mischievous pranks.

“Oh my God.”  Hanschen stood up, and then sat back down again, putting his face in his hands.  “Oh my God, this was Bobby.  I can’t believe I didn’t see it immediately.”

Ernst almost asked if he was sure, but then something came to him.  “He was signed up to stay late in the art room yesterday after school!  And he always forgets to put the lids back on paint cans, he spills all the time.  That’s why this,” he held up his tinted hands, “happened!”

Hanschen picked up the phone on Mr. Knochenbruch’s desk and dialed.

“What are you doing?” Ernst hissed.

“I’m calling the extension for the teacher’s lounge,” he explained, waving his hand to silence him.  “Hello?” he said into the phone.  “Sir?  This is Hanschen Rilow.  I’m still in your office with Ernst, but we know who did it.”

Ernst was mortified.  Surely they’d get in trouble for this.  He wished he could hear what the man on the other end of the call was saying.

“It was Bobby Maler, sir.  We’re sure of it.  If you conduct an examination I am positive you’ll find that his handwriting matches what was painted on the wall.  He framed me, sir, I know it.”  There was a pause while Hanschen listened to Mr. Knochenbruch.  Ernst wrung his hands together, waiting.  “Okay, sir.  Thank you.”  Hanschen hung up.

“Well?” Ernst prompted.

“He’s looking into it.  He wants us to wait here.”  Hanschen sat back down next to Ernst.  He seemed exhausted.

“Why would Bobby frame you?” Ernst asked softly.  He knew Bobby, and he knew he wasn’t a stellar guy.  But he didn’t think he’d do something like this.  When Hanschen didn’t immediately answer, Ernst felt bad for asking.  “Never mind, sorry.  I’m sure it’s personal.”

“He’s my ex.”

“What?”

“Bobby.  We were dating for a while.  I broke up with him after he attached a dildo to Mr. Knochenbruch’s door and let me take the fall for it, which I did because I thought I loved him.  But he wasn’t even sorry.  And he was bad for me, always trying to make me break rules and shit.  I wasn’t lying before, when I said I’m reformed.  I threw all that stuff out when I cut him out.  But that wasn't, like, okay with him.  It’s been months, and he still isn’t over it.  And I’ve been weak about it.  Since we broke up we’ve been, like, hooking up, you know?  No strings attached stuff.  I skipped this morning because he asked me to meet him in the empty band room, and I’m just… I just don’t know how to make the right choice.  So I went, and he wasn’t there.  Because he was vandalizing.  Because he hates me for dumping him.”

Ernst didn’t know what to say.  He kind of couldn’t believe this near stranger had been so honest with him.  Hanschen looked vulnerable for the first time all day.  Ernst scooted his chair closer and cautiously put his arm around him.

“He’s not getting away with it,” he reminded Hanschen.  “We got him.”

Hanschen forced a smile.  “You’re right.”

Just then the door burst open and Mr. Knochenbruch stormed in.  Ernst quickly pulled his arm away, embarrassed.  Hanschen rolled his eyes.

“You boys are free to go,” the principal announced.  “You have my apologies for this indiscretion.”

“You got him?” Hanschen asked, proud that he refrained from calling Bobby a ‘son-of-a-bitch.’

“Yes, the culprit has been punished appropriately.  I’ll write you passes to class.”  Ernst was already standing and heaving his backpack onto his shoulders.  “I hope to never see either of you in this office again, boys.   Make good choices.”  He handed them passes, and Ernst practically sprinted out of the room.

“Thank you, sir,” he had the decency to call over his shoulder.

Hanschen followed him out, laughing.  “I told you I’m reformed,” he told Ernst, catching up to him.  “I’m not a bad guy.”

“I know.”

“Do you wanna hang out sometime?” Hanschen asked.  For the first time all day, he was nervous.

“I’d love that.”  It was true.  The thought of seeing Hanschen somewhere outside the principal’s office made Ernst grin.

“Great.  I’ll paint my number somewhere you can find it,” Hanschen offered, and they both laughed, bumping shoulders as they continued down the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by "I don’t know you but we’re both in the principal’s office because they think we vandalized the school chapel and it wasn’t me so just fess up already this is going to ruin my perfect record au" which I found on tumblr.
> 
> This is a continuation of the "I am awful at priorities and wrote a drabble instead of a) doing HOMEWORK or b) working on the next chapter of Winner Takes It All" so I hope it's worth it.
> 
> Reviews are great, hmu here or at musicalkiddo.tumblr.com


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